It is known to record reference data on a variety of types of microchips, including image sensors, during manufacture of the microchips. Such detail may include product codes and the like and, may be included in the chip circuitry using a variety of coding schemes. In the case of an image sensor, such reference data may, for example, identify the particular type of the basic sensor chip.
Most bio-optical sensor systems include a bio-sensor made up of an image sensor on to which a biological reagent material is bonded. Typically, the image sensor design and/or fabrication and biological reagent deposition are undertaken by different companies. That is, a silicon manufacturer would design and produce an image sensor and a bio system integrator would deposit the relevant biological reagent material on the pixel array.
Bio-optical sensor systems typically operate by using a biological reagent material which reacts by emitting light in the presence of a particular mechanical or biological substance. However, the image sensor for use in the bio-optical sensor system may be used with a number of different biological reagent materials. Accordingly, a bio-system integrator may use the same image sensor type for depositing a variety of different biological reagent materials depending on the chemical or biological substances which are to be detected.
To ensure that image sensors are not mixed up, identification information may be needed on the sensor. However, it is typically the silicon manufacturer which would add identification information on to the sensor.